I did it! After several month of Pinterest stalking bob hairstyles and coveting shorter locks, I went for the chop the other day!

I’ve had long hair for years, and it had become a bit of a safety blanket if I’m honest. It really felt time for a change, but of course I was quite nervous about it. But life is changing a lot at the moment and I wanted my hair to keep pace. Plus, my ends were fried, dried out and just felt gross. It was beginning to irritate me having all that dead hair hanging around my face.

The ‘lob’ or long, textured bob has definitely been the standout style over the past few years. Suddenly, short hair looked much cooler than WAG style long, bouncing curls. But still I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I have a confession to make. Hold on to your seats, but I haven't had my hair cut for over year. For someone that's so into her beauty stuff, that's a loooong time. I swear I didn't mean it to go on for so long...I swear I'll change...I'll be better next time...I promise *sobs*.

Finding a good hairdresser is a massive issue. You have to find someone that not only gets you, but understands who you want to be as well, and can interpret all that into a cut that works. My previous hairdresser had all that. It got to the point where I could just flop down into the chair, cut or colour, and say 'Do what you like' and know that it would turn out great. So I was devastated when she announced she was moving to Austrailia (why, Cassie, why?) and love her though I did, that's a bit far for me to go for a trim and few highlights.

Since then, I've visited quite a few different salons, but I just never clicked with anyone. And I had a few disasters along the way. Like Aveda, who dyed my hair purple when I'd asked for caramel highlights. Or the simply named The Salon, who did the opposite and left the foils on for so long I went a shade I can only describe as 'acid custard'. Or The White Room, who didn't have any hot water and also dropped a shampoo bottle on my head! I just couldn't find anywhere that I felt understood me.

So I dyed my highlights out and let my layers grow. Fast forward a year and my hair was just hanging there, a shapeless mass. The ends were dry and crying out for mercy. I knew I had to do something.

Then, Eve at Tim Foster Hairdressing found me. She reached out on Twitter (how very modern) and before I knew it I was booked in! I'd been able to view pictures of her work on Twitter as well, so I knew I was in good hands.


As soon as I went into the salon, I knew I'd like it. Call me superficial (I've said it myself in the title of this blog!) but if I don't like the vibe of a salon it will never work out. Tim Foster Hairdressing is decked out in a really cool, vintage style inside. It reminded me of an All Saints store.

Eve gave me a huge smile when I came in and made me feel very welcome. She looked like Keira Knightly with a gorgeous coppery hairdo, so I instantly relaxed. I was having an awful day and my face was all swelled up with tree pollen allergies, I'd managed to cry all my mascara off and my hair was mess as I'd skipped washing it the night before. I don't know what she must have thought, but she made me feel at ease and put a smile on my face.

She somehow also managed to translate my very vague directions of 'something sort of 60's with a sort of grown-out fringe' into an actual hairdo. As well as seeing who I was, she managed to see what I wanted to be (Sienna Miller), which is important when someone is styling your hair. Have a look:



I now have much healthier looking hair with the dead ends all chopped off! My hair had become so straggly and had literally stopped growing because it was in such bad repair, so it wasn't getting any longer. It was just hanging there, looking stressed.

I'm really pleased with my 'fringe-that-isn't a fringe'. I have to be careful because what I really want in my heart of hearts is a heavy, full fringe (I get fringe envy a lot), but my forehead is really short so it tends to make me look like a Lego Man.

Periodically, I forget this, get a fringe and then have to spend three months clipping it back until it grows out again.


Eve has magically managed to find a compromise with shaped 'side pieces' that I can either brush into more of a fringe or style back into the rest of my hair. They don't get in my eyes and I'm happy! And the gorgeous products used in the salon have really made my hair feel healthy and my ombre shine.

She did a gorgeous wavy blow dry on me as well - I couldn't take any pictures at the time because my face was all swelled up and disgusting with allergies, so apologies for that. These pics are taken after I straightened it in the morning, but now I know the cut works both wavy and straight, which is lovely.

I'm one happy customer. I feel like I've found a stylist I can trust (after A LOT of wrong turns). I'd now feel confident to go in and ask for something more dramatic or get my colour adjusted - I'm already thinking about my next move -  and I certainly won't go another year without visiting!

If you're looking for a salon in Nottingham that's forward thinking and stylish with great service I would certainly recommend them.

Unlike make-up, where I'm very keen to try new things, when it comes to shampoos, I tend to stick to what I know works for my hair type. For me, that tends to be Tigi BedHead stuff, Herbal Essences or John Frieda. I actually never use the same shampoo and conditioner twice in a row - my hairdresser told me hair gets 'used' to the active ingredients and they stop being as effective - but I rotate between four or five favourites.

So I'd never tried anything from Mark Hill, which is one of those 'celebrity' hairdresser ranges stocked at Boots, until I changed up my blowdryer just before Christmas. My old one was getting tired and burnt out, so when I saw this leopard print lovely on offer for £30, I decided to go with it.



It came in this cute, leopard case which I use to store all of my hair tools now, and as a bonus it had a large shampoo and conditioner included.

>> What's the hype?

As someone with fine hair which goes really soft and unmanageable when just washed, I'm a huge fan of hallowed 'second day hair' (I always wash my hair the day before any big event), so I was intrigued by these products which claim to give that feeling.

They say:

"Soft hair is no longer on the menu. This amazing fibre- strengthening, pre styling shampoo does just what you want it to do. Cleans, refreshes and removes product build up. Wow! And guess what? It never overloads, it just does what it says -prepares your hair for that big night out.
Now you’re ready to Party!"

Did it deliver and leave me feeling ready to rave?

At this point, it might be useful to say a few words about my hair, so you can see if these products might also work for you. Hair is very subjective- just like skin- and one girl's holy grail product is another's epic fail.

• My hair is fine. People always seem to call it thick, but they're wrong. I just have lots of it. Sounds funny, I know, but having 'thick' hair means the individual follicles themselves are thick and strong. My strands are fine and flyaway, but I have a fair amount of them. 
• As soon as I learned this, my haircare got so much better. I was using products for thick hair and wondering why they were weighing my tresses down and making them look greasy!
• My hair is pretty damaged. As a dark brunette, I spent quite a few years as a bleached blonde. I'm now back to dark, but with dip-dyed ends, after getting sick of the maintenance. I've gone back and forth a couple of times, so my hair is quite dry and damaged.I also use heat styling on my hair pretty much every day, so I try to treat it in other ways, like always using a heat protectant.
• I only wash my hair twice a week. Some people think this is pretty skanky, but it really doesn't need it more often, let alone every day. My hair is so fluffy and unmanageable after washing, and it doesn't look greasy with only two washes a week (I hope!). In between washes I freshen up with dry shampoo to take out any dirt.
• I try to put on a super-hydrating hair mask, whether bought or homemade, at least once a week, usually on a Sunday when I'm relaxing in the bath
• My hair has gone through natural changes. It was long enough to sit on and wavy when I was a little girl. Then it used to be really, chronically frizzy when I was a teenager, but its calmed down enormously. Now I'd say it's just straight and a little dry.

>> What do I think?

 

You get a generous 50ml tube of the shampoo and conditioner for £6.29 each, which is a fair price. Packaging wise, the glossy black tube with pink leopard print is pretty appealing.

The shampoo lathered up okay but wasn't excessively foamy. It's a clear gel with a scent that I thought was almost like a men's cologne - quite fresh but perfumey. The conditioner is a white cream with a less strong scent.

After washing, I put my hair in a microfibre wrap and left as long as possible before using the blowdryer. This helps to take the bulk of the water out, meaning the heat isn't as damaging.


 It also makes you look fetching. (NAAAHT!)




After that, I used my usual combination of products with the Mark Hill blowdryer. A Tangle Teezer to gently brush my hair out without causing damage, some mousse for volume -Adee Phelan Fabulous Volumising Mousse, and some heat spray - L'Oreal Studio Line Hot & Smooth  Straight Spray. I also used some of my top favourite, Mythic Oil through the lengths and ends when dry.

Here's the result (blowdried only, no other styling):



These products really deliver on their promise - my hair really did feel 'second day' and ready to go. It was nowhere near as fluffy and slippery as is normal straight after washing.

However, I do feel this is at the expense of other benefits like moisturising or volumising- which to be fair, it doesn't promise- so I'm not sure if I would use it all the time. I'd probably save it for when I wanted to wash my hair before styling or going out.

My ends still look a little dried out, but overall I was pleased with the smoothness and the texture - it felt like the hair had 'guts' and could be styled straight away without slipping.

This is a great product to know about and have in your back pocket (not literally - I'd advise keeping it on the bathroom shelf!) for those occasions where you don't want first day hair to cramp your style.

It's about 3 years too late, but I finally jumped onto the ombré hair bandwagon. It's a look I've liked for ages, but just never got around to doing, but yesterday I took the plunge and did it- mainly because when I suggested it to my darling husband, he said I was (and I quote) "too old for it". Too freaking old?!? So of course, I then had to try it out!

I used the L'Oreal Preference Home Kit, like everyone else in the known blogosphere, so I won't bother to do a full review on it. There are some really good posts and videos out there for the Googling. Here's the kit:




I will say that it was nice and easy to use, and I'm pleased with the result. It's not too orange (the pictures on the box are a rather alarming shade of tangerine!), and the effect is actually subtle and not some massive neon stripe across the bottom of your hair
I'd like to point out I had ombre hair before it was even 'a thing'. When I began sixth form, waaay back when I was 17, I bleached the bottom three inches of my hair and dyed them pink. It was a look that got extensively copied and probably the only time I've ever felt like a trend-setter. But I'm glad to be doing it again and I'm really pleased with the results. Another victory for home beauty care!

Hey lovelies

I've taken the plunge and dyed my hair back to dark brown, after a year and a half of lightening it (and even longer before I went back to brunette for my wedding in 2011).

To be honest, I was getting sick of the upkeep. My roots would show really quickly which I hated and it was just a hassle. I had also switched from getting highlights done in salons to lightening my hair myself.

This was a cheaper option but my hair had gone a bit of a strange, beige colour over time. Also, I was using a bleaching kit, followed by a dark blonde dye on top to get the shade correct, and all that processing cannot be good for your locks.

I had started to crave dark, shiny locks some time ago and found myself poring over pictures of celebrities with dark hair like Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian, and lusting over their raven tresses. My problem is I don't know what suits me better. Of course I'm a natural brunette, but in my heart I feel like a blonde! I also look at stars like J.Lo (my hair icon) and Jessica Alba and think they look much better with lighter locks, and as they have similar skin tones to me, it made me wonder whether I was better off blonder.

In fact, if you're a brunette wondering how to go blonde without any mistakes, check out my top tips on going lighter.

But my main catalyst for turning brunette? The make-up artist and blogger Carli Bybel. I love her look so much, and am currently obsessed with her videos and tips. Looking at her gorgeous hair gave me the push to embrace brunette again! View her site, here.

Anyway, after much agonising, I used L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss in shade 515 Chocolate Truffle because I fell in love with the colour! It's the first time I've dyed my hair at home without using a foam formulation dye, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't at all messy, as I had expected. In fact it was all very easy and quick.

I had thought having dark hair suddenly would be a bit of a shock, but actually I'm loving being a brunette again. I feel sexy! And I can wear all my hair extensions, which now match my colour.

Here's a shot of the new colour :)

My side-swept style

I know December has only just landed at our doorsteps, but this weekend, I've been feeling quite Christmassy all of a sudden!

This Sunday was one of those beautiful, golden and frosty mornings where the air feels like champagne. I went for a long, chilly walk along the misty river bank with my Mr, amaretto latte in hand. And then after story time with our niece and baking my signature Jack Daniels mince pies in the afternoon, and best of all, seeing the Coca Cola Christmas ad (commercial, I know, but it seems like its not the festive season until its on air), I've really begun to feel like the holidays are fast approaching!

In that spirit, I tried out a new hair style that I'm planning to wear to my work Christmas do, which is quite a glamorous, black-tie event. I'm wearing a full length gown, and I wanted a hairstyle that would be quite dramatic and 'Hollywood' to balance it.

Usually, I make a trip to the hairdresser before big events, but I thought the style I wanted to achieve would be fairly simple to create by myself, so I decided to have a go and see if I could try it myself. This saves my pennies and also gives me more time instead of rushing back and forth to the salon, can't go wrong!

I based this style on these gorgeous, romantic side swept styles with soft curls modelled by Eva Longoria, Penelope Cruz, Taylor Swift and Diana Agron. It was really quite simple to create and I love the overall effect!

Products and Tools:
Paddle brush (mine is from Tresemme)
Tail comb
Dry shampoo or a Volumising hair powder- I used Clynol Play
A curl spray - I used Umberto Giannini Old School Setting Spray
Flat irons or curling tongs- I used my GHDs
Strong hold hairspray - I used Umberto Giannini Rock n Roll Extreme Hairspray
A shed load of hair grips

How to create it:

1. First of all, smooth out your hair with the paddle brush to make sure there are no nasty knots and tangles- your hair needs to be super-sleek for this to work. The style is best created on 'day old' hair, as it has a bit more grip and guts than silky, freshly washed tresses.

2. Spray a dry shampoo into the roots or massage in some hair powder to plump up the roots and give the hair more hold.

3. Use your tail comb to section the hair into a low side parting. For the most flattering part, I traced a line up from my eyebrow and section off a two-inch piece at the front. Clip this to the side, out of the way.

4. Go in with the tail comb again and section off the piece of hair at the crown. Backcomb this piece at the roots, spritzing with a strong hold hairspray to fix. Use the paddle brush to smooth over the top section and clip this pouffed up piece out of the way.

5. Section the remaining hair off into pieces about an inch thick. Spray each section with a curl spray or a setting lotion that will help to lock the curl in place. Using your tongs or your flat irons, curl each piece and spray with hairspray.

6. Unclip the crown section and curl the ends. Push the 'pouff' upwards on itself and fix with hairgrips to lock in the volume.

7. Take the top few curls from the less full side of your parting. Twist and pull diagonally across to the other side of your head. Use two kirby grips crossed over to fix each piece securely and leave the tail of the curl dangling free.

8. With the bottom section, sweep it over to the opposite side, rolling it up as you go. Fix the bottom of the twist into position with more criss-crossed grips. This pattern really locks the style in place.

9. Seal the whole thing with more of the strong hold hairspray

10. If you have any, adding some jewelled combs or grips to the top of the low twist at the back can really add some glitz to this look.

And there you go! A very easy, quick half up half down, side swept look that's perfect for weddings, parties and any occasion you want to look pulled together quickly!